Return Safari 6 Delete Key Functionality to Go Back a Page

Safari 6 changed the longstanding behavior of the Delete key, which used to navigate back a page when pressed but now does nothing. Instead, navigating web pages forward and backward is done through Command [ and Command ].

If you’d like to return the back-a-page navigation behavior to the Delete key within Safari, you can do so with a defaults write command.

Quit out of Safari

Launch Terminal from /Applications/Utilities/ and enter the following lengthy defaults command onto a single line:

Open any web page, click forward a page, then hit the Delete key to confirm the change worked. If for some reason it didn’t, it’s probably a result of the unusually long defaults write command being entered improperly.

If you want to revert to the default Safari 6 behavior and remove the Backspace key navigation support, change the -bool switch from YES to NO, and then relaunch Safari:

The latest version of Safari introduced some other controversial changes too, including the removal of the RSS feed button (you can add it back with an extension) and removal of RSS support in general, requiring the use of a third party reading app instead.

This works for Safari in both OS X Lion and Mountain Lion, Mavericks, etc. This great tip comes to us from MacRumors forums, it should apply going forward to all versions of Safari in OS X too. Let us know in the comments what works for you.

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15 Comments

Thank all those who found this solution, and let me ask rhetorically, why in the &^$^% would someone decide to remove a functionality so built into user’s psyches that it’s almost genetic? It’s certainly reflex behavior on my part to reach for delete.

Because it should have never been burnt into their psyche in the first place.

It’s already burned into the psyche for a different purpose: typing. I typed “pr” delete “urpose” just now. Automatic reflex. Been doing it since I learned to type. It’s what that key is FOR.

As “apps within browsers” or user-contributed web content become things. we type a lot in browsers and need Delete.

The browser determined right action by focus: is the cursor inside a form field? then delete=delete. Otherwise it’s navigate back.

This oughta work but it didn’t. Problem is the cursor can be ripped out of the form field unbeknownst to the user. Several ways.
1. AJAX/Javascript doing something
2. An external app snatching focus for a few milliseconds and giving it back to Safari. (now fixed)
3. Inadvertent touch with trackpad or touch screen
4. Inadvertent “tab” key to non-text field

Apple changes these things for a reason. People change them back just so they won’t have to develop a new habit and move on. I find this really dumb. The world evolves, stop trying to go back in time :-)

Why would they go from a single, double-width key, that was not only easy to hit, but had also been in place as a de-facto standard for years and years, to a double-key combination that no one knows is beyond me.

The reason why Apple does this is to promote the use of two finger swipe back on the trackpad. For instance, they also disabled three finger swipe to go to the previous/next page starting fom Lion (although we can enable it in System Preferences.

On a similar note, having just gotten used to the new UI in Lion’s QT Player, I was dismayed to discover the full-screen/windowed button in the control bar has been removed in Mtn Lion.

While I understand that changes happen, and for the most part, begrudgingly come to adapt, me and a much underrepresented group of OS X converts came from the ultra-conservative world of Unix professionals, many who I know get annoyed that installing Mtn Lion requires a reboot (and I suspect, some enough to hack a workaround so as not to spoil their year+ uptimes). The folks who’ve to Mac via that route do not suffer frivolity well, often nor long.

Thanks. I don’t know who’s bright idea that was but it was definitely worth someone filling out a new ID.10-T form.
The backspace/delete button has been a default for years on both PC and MAC, whoever decided to change it did it for the sack of change and change only… and wasn’t a needed update.

That’s not the only annoyance in the new Safari. The one that really baffles me is taking away the ability to not have to type .com at the end. Ever since the beginning of Safari we never had to type www or .com but now all of a sudden Apple decides that Google search takes precedence. I don’t get it and hope someone can come up with a hack for this or a way to reverse it. Please!

If I could reach through cyber space and hug whoever wrote this article, holy **** would I! Thank you so much. I’ve had my Macbook Pro and iMac for 6 months now with no time to research this. Finally decided tonight is the night. Sending so much love your way 😁💜💚💙😁